Page 11 of Hexmate (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #1)

Chapter 11

Atlas

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been running. Ever since my coffee date with Caden, I was riding high. The energy coursing through my body just wouldn’t ebb. I’d barely been able to concentrate on my later classes. As soon as I was out, I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting still and doing homework. So, I dropped off my books and headed for the gym. I’d been there ever since, lifting weights and running laps. Nothing worked.

Even after all that, I was still brimming with energy, the wolf inside me refusing to settle down. Just being close to Caden was bad enough, but those intimate moments that passed between us when I stood up to protect him from those asshole witches… those lit a fire in my very soul.

My Alpha instincts kicked in during that moment, placing myself between Caden and the others. I’d never felt anything like that before, the wolf inside me rearing up in an instant. The sensation alone was almost enough to cause me to shift on the spot. That, more than anything, worried me.

The kind of sensations I was feeling, the urge to protect and be around Caden all the time… they were so intense. And the sexual component was getting stronger too. It was getting more difficult to ignore it.

I slowed my pace on the treadmill, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Sweat dripped down my face and neck, soaking my shirt. But still, the restless energy refused to dissipate.

Images of Caden flashed through my mind - his shy smile, those soulful blue eyes, the adorable dusting of freckles across his nose. The wolf inside me growled with want. I gripped the treadmill handles tightly, trying to regain control.

This wasn’t just lust or a crush. It was something deeper, more primal. The urge to claim Caden as mine, to mark him, protect him, possess him completely. The intensity of it frightened me.

I’d never felt this way about anyone before. Sure, I’d had hookups and casual flings. But this... this was different. Dangerous.

As I stepped off the treadmill on shaky legs, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes glowed with an unnatural amber light, my canines slightly elongated. Not to mention the bulge in my running shorts… it was not subtle. Shit. I needed to get myself under control before someone noticed.

I ducked into the locker room, splashing cold water on my face. I gripped the edges of the sink, staring at my reflection as I tried to calm my racing heart. Deep breaths. In and out. Slowly, the amber glow in my eyes faded, my teeth returning to normal.

But the ache in my chest remained. The longing. The need to see Caden again, to be near him, to touch him. It was almost painful.

I couldn’t go on like this. I had to do something, say something. But what if Caden didn’t feel the same way? What if I scared him off? The thought made my stomach churn.

“Atlas?” a voice called through the locker room. I turned to see the night janitor glancing around the corner. “I’m closing up for the night, kid.”

“Thanks,” I said, giving him a wave. “I’ll be out in a minute. Sorry I took so long.”

“No problem!” he called, heading back into the main area.

As I toweled off and changed back into my regular clothes, I made a decision. I would go see Caden tonight. Just to talk. To try to sort out these feelings. Maybe if I explained what was happening, he’d understand. Or maybe he’d run screaming in the other direction.

Either way, I couldn’t keep this bottled up inside me any longer. It was eating me alive. I had to know what it meant.

I left the gym, the cold night air a welcome relief against my flushed skin. My feet carried me across campus towards Caden’s dorm before I could second-guess myself. Snow fell around me as I walked. They dryads were right, there was a snowstorm brewing. Although it was relatively mild now, my sensitive nose picked up the blizzard not far off. I had no doubt the entire campus would be under several inches by morning.

This close to midnight, there was nobody wandering around campus. I walked alone, my thoughts racing as the snow deadened all the sound of the world around me. It wasn’t until I passed the student center that I saw another person. But I was too lost in my own thoughts to offer more than a glance. I walked on, heading for Caden’s dorm room. However, a voice caused me to stop in my tracks.

“Atlas?!”

I turned around, a green-eyed man with red hair stalking toward me with a coffee clutched in his hand. He had pointed ears and an elf-like grace about him. It was easy to tell he was Fae. But it wasn’t until he stepped into the lamplight that I realized it was Wild, Caden’s roommate.

“It is you!” he barked, his brows furrowed in anger. “What the fuck are you doing here? Where’s Caden?”

His anger surprised me. “What do you mean?” I asked, taking a step back. “I was just going to your dorm to talk to him.”

“You’re supposed to be meeting him out on the ridge outside of the academy,” he snapped, pointing off toward the barrier. “Or did you forget what your note said?”

My heart began to pound anxiously. “Note? What note?” I had no idea what he was talking about.

“The one you slipped in his book you idiot!”

We stood there in silence for a moment, both of us thoroughly confused. Then, I watched the realization dawn on Wild’s face. It told me everything I needed to know.

“Then… who is Caden going to meet?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

My blood ran cold. The wolf inside me snarled, hackles raised. Without another word, I took off running towards the ridge, my feet pounding against the snow-covered ground. Wild’s shouts faded behind me as I sprinted across campus, my heart thundering in my chest.

The blizzard was picking up, fat snowflakes swirling around me as I ran. The wind howled, whipping my hair and clothes. But I barely felt the cold. All I could think about was Caden, alone and vulnerable, walking into some kind of trap. And I had a good idea who might’ve set it.

Rowan. The witch I’d stood up to earlier that very same day. I had no doubt he was the one behind it all. And if that was true, Caden was in grave danger.

As I neared the edge of campus, I caught his scent on the wind. Faint, but unmistakable. Earthy and fresh, like a forest after a rain. It was Caden’s, I was sure of it. My wolf surged forward, urging me to run faster. To find him. Protect him.

I burst through the barrier, snow crunching under my feet. The ridge loomed ahead, at least a mile away, a stark silhouette against the stormy sky. But thanks to the lack of light, I couldn’t make anything out. However, I caught his scent on the wind as I ran, mixed with something bitter and filled with malice.

Witches.

“Caden!” I shouted, my voice nearly lost in the howling gale.

But there was no one to answer me. Not yet. I picked up my pace, pushing my body to its limits as I raced up the mountain. The wind whipped snow into my face as I charged up the ridge, following Caden’s scent. My heart pounded, not from exertion, but from fear. What if I was too late? What if Rowan and his witch friends had already hurt Caden? The thought made my blood boil.

As I crested the top of the ridge, I saw them. A group of dark figures huddled in a circle, their cloaks billowing in the wind. And in the center, a smaller figure with blonde hair on his knees - Caden.

I could smell his fear, sharp and acrid on the wind. He was trying to back away, but the witches had him surrounded. Rowan’s sneering voice carried over the howling wind. I didn’t have to see Rowan’s open jeans to know his intentions. I could smell his lust and hunger for flesh on the wind. He meant to hurt Caden in the most disgusting way possible.

“Did you really think a pathetic little witch like you could stop me from getting what I wanted?” he taunted. “I’ll teach you your place, you little faggot.”

A snarl ripped from my throat as I charged forward. The witches turned, startled by my sudden appearance. I barreled into them, scattering their circle. My fist connected with Rowan’s jaw, sending him sprawling in the snow.

“Atlas!” Caden cried out, relief and fear mingling in his voice.

I positioned myself between him and the witches, my body coiled and ready to strike. The wolf inside me was howling for blood, urging me to tear them apart for daring to threaten what was mine. I could feel the change coming on, my bones shifting beneath my skin.

“Get out of here, mutt,” Rowan spat, wiping blood from his split lip. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“Like hell it doesn’t,” I growled, my voice deepening as the transformation took hold. “You touch him again and I’ll rip your fucking throat out.”

The other witches looked uncertain, glancing between Rowan and me. They could sense the danger radiating off me in waves. But Rowan just sneered, raising his hands as dark energy crackled between his fingers.

“You think you can take on all of us, dog?” he taunted. “You’re outnumbered.”

I felt Caden’s hand on my arm, trembling slightly. “Atlas, don’t,” he pleaded. “They’ll hurt you.”

His touch grounded me, but I didn’t need to be grounded. There was something Rowan didn’t know about me, about my heritage. My family was one of the oldest werewolf clans on the continent. And with that came certain powers.

“Give it your best shot, bitch ,” I snarled.

The air crackled with tension as Rowan and I faced off, the other witches flanking him uncertainly. I could smell their fear, but also their bloodlust. They wanted a fight.

“Atlas, please,” Caden whispered behind me, his voice trembling. “Let’s just go.”

But I couldn’t back down now. These bastards had to learn they couldn’t mess with what was mine. The wolf inside me was fully in control now, my muscles rippling as the transformation took hold.

Rowan’s eyes widened as he watched my body shift and grow, dark fur sprouting across my skin. The clothes tore off my body, ripped to shreds by the change. Within seconds, I stood before them not as a man or a wolf, but a hulking monster with dripping fangs, dark claws, and a growl that would put even the bravest on their guard. My amber eyes glowed in the darkness as I bared my fangs, my body radiating power.

“Holy shit,” one of the other witches gasped, taking a step back. “He… he’s a monster…”

But Rowan stood his ground, dark energy swirling around his hands. “So what if you’re a cheap horror movie knockoff?” he sneered. “We can still take you down.”

He flung a bolt of crackling black magic at me, but I was ready. I held up my forearm, taking the magic full on. It struck my body, crackled, and faded away.

“Hardly a tingle,” I growled, my voice easily an octave lower than normal. “You’re not powerful enough to stop me.”

Rowan’s face paled, his bravado faltering for the first time. The other witches exchanged nervous glances, their confidence clearly shaken. But Rowan wasn’t ready to give up yet.

“Attack, you idiots!” he shouted, hurling another blast of dark magic at me.

I dodged it easily, my heightened reflexes allowing me to move with inhuman speed. The other witches joined in, flinging spells and curses in my direction. But none of them could touch me. I was too fast, too strong.

With a snarl, I lunged at the nearest witch, my claws raking across his chest. He screamed and stumbled backward, blood staining the snow, even though the wound was shallow. The others scattered, their formation breaking as panic set in.

I turned my attention to Rowan, who was backing away slowly, his eyes wide with fear. “Stay back!” he yelled, his voice cracking.

But I wasn’t about to let him get away. Not after what he’d tried to do to Caden. I advanced on him, my massive form casting a shadow over his trembling body.

“Atlas, wait!” Caden’s voice cut through the wind and snow.

But I didn’t heed it.

Standing over Rowan, I reeled back, razor-sharp claws held high. “Don’t ever touch my mate again!” I roared.

Without hesitation, my claws flashed through the air, striking Rowan’s face. Blood splattered across the snow, the crimson a stark contrast to the white gathering on the ground.

I stepped back, looking at all the other witches. “He’s alive,” I growled. “Take him and get the fuck out of here.”

They did as they were bidden, none of them brave enough to stand up to me again. One knelt down and cast a healing spell of some sort of Rowan, but it wasn’t enough to undo the damage. He’d wear that scar for the rest of his life, a stark reminder of what happened when he got between an Alpha werewolf and his mate.

Together they lifted Rowan up and headed down the mountain, disappearing into the storm. Cleaning my claws in the snow, I turned back to Caden, his eyes wide with fear as he looked up at me. I noticed his shirt was torn and there was a bruise forming on one cheek, a gift from Rowan no doubt.

“Please…” he sobbed. “Please don’t hurt me.”

I reached down, gathering him up in my arms. “I would never hurt you,” I said softly. “I’m only here to protect you.”

He hesitated for only a moment before wrapping his arms around my waist. Sobs shook his body as he buried his face in my fur. As gently as I could, I lifted him up and carried him into the trees, finding a small, sheltered spot away from the wind. I pulled him tightly against me, my fur keeping the cold and snow off his skin.

I would wait as long as he needed me to. And I was determined to never let him out of my sight again. Nobody would harm him as long as I was alive. He was my mate, plain and simple. And I was his Alpha.